


The Nutcracker Doll

by LizzyLovesPink



Category: Helix Waltz (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas AU, F/F, I originally wrote this around Christmas, Nutcracker AU, best read while listening to the soundtrack, follows the original book more than the ballet, food imagery, obvious roles are obvious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 14:44:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18317372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzyLovesPink/pseuds/LizzyLovesPink
Summary: Every year, the Four Families of Finsel host a large Christmas party that ends up becoming the talk of the city, whether good or bad, for the remainder of the year until the next one is held. And this year, it is the Bavlenkas' turn. Nyx is giddy with excitement, having been sick the last time her family held it. Nyx has no idea what to expect as a result and finds herself caught up in the splendor of it all. During the Secret Santa Exchange, Linglan gives Nyx her gift of an old and plain-looking nutcracker doll she dubs Magda. The other children scoffed, but Nyx fell in love with the doll at first sight. And her pure love for the doll would end up breaking the curse placed on her and send Nyx to a fantasy dream-world full of sweets and dances.





	The Nutcracker Doll

When the snow on the ground fell softly and slowly enough to resemble the thin, powdery sugar on top of a cake, and when the big oak clock in the parlor struck seven at night, that meant it was time for the annual Christmas party of Finsel; not a moment before and not a moment after. The party was the talk of Finsel from late-July until early-February regardless of what the party actually ended up being like. Competition to get an invitation was fierce; as only a certain amount of people would get invited by the head of a household. And indeed, only the Four Families could host the party; they traded off the responsibility every year.

This year, it was the Bavlenkas' turn.

The parlor had already been decorated for the event, and Nyx was excited, as the last time the event was held, she was sick and missed the whole thing. She had no idea what to expect...but this year, she was healthy and fit as a fiddle. She couldn't wait to see what the living room looked like and who her father had invited to attend.

Currently, her and her older sister, Lou, were given strict orders to wait outside the parlor doors and wait for the doors to be opened so they could greet the guests properly.

"Does Father always require us to do this?" She asked Lou curiously. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail; a year shy of being able to tie it up formally; with a sugar pink lolita gown on with matching Mary-Janes, lacy white stockings and kid gloves, with a gold charm necklace around her neck. A wreath of pink and white roses was up in her hair.

"Yes. I suppose it is to prevent us from disturbing the servants as they put the finishing touches on the room," Lou responded, not looking up from her book. Unlike Nyx, her hair was pulled up into a bun tied with a gold ribbon, and her outfit was a gold, full-skirted ballgown trimmed with fake roses with black heels and opera gloves. Gold jewelry completed the look. Overall, she looked very mature and it was a good contrast to Nyx's youthful colours and outfit.

"I wonder who will be invited?" Nyx continued, standing beside the door. It took all of her composure to not peek through the keyhole. But she was a good girl. She could be patient and wait for her father's signal to finally go in...it will be worth it if she waited!

"Only Father knows," Lou responded calmly, turning a page in her book quietly. Nyx nervously held her hands in front of her as Harson slowly pulled the door open in front of her.

"Ladies, it is time. The party has begun," He announced, bowing. Lou nodded and closed her book, while Nyx perked up and walked in ahead of her, eager to see what the room looked like.

The parlor had been completely transformed; gold and black streamers and ribbons hung from every fixture. Even the grand clock in the room had gotten a makeover, sporting a small garland of holly near the top. A massive Christmas tree took up the middle of the room, lots of presents placed underneath. The tree itself was topped with a golden star and was covered in red ribbons, glass balls, and candles; a fresh scent of pine in the air.

"It's beautiful!" Nyx found herself exclaiming, hurrying over to the tree. "And all of these presents...who are they for?"

"The party guests, probably." Lou walked into the room herself. Nyx could tell by the twinkle in her eyes she too was captured by the magic and stifled her giggle. "I mean, the other Families have children too. So these gifts must be for them,"

The other guests began to hurry inside the room, many being just as amazed and fascinated by the large tree as Lou and Nyx were. The other three Families were there, of course, as well as a few prominent members from the Senate and City Assembly. Nyx suddenly found herself feeling shy. She only knew a select few at the party. What would she do if she found herself being made to talk to someone she wasn't familiar with...?

"Nice to meet you all! I see the party is nearly in full-swing!" Linglan announced as she walked into the room, her assistant holding several boxes. "I know I'm a bit late...but that is because I come with gifts for everyone,"

"Presents? What sorts of presents?" Alan asked curiously.

"Oh, Chairwoman Linglan always gives out the best presents every year!" Barbara announced cheerfully.

Linglan smirked a bit at that, her and Giulolo handing out the presents she had brought; pearl necklaces and earrings for the women and watches with matching cufflinks made from silver for the men.

“As for the children, we decided on a Secret Santa sort of thing. A month ago, you all signed up for it, correct? So, if you were a member, please line up in front of that table. All of your presents are ready to be opened,” Linglan continued, motioning to a small table with wrapped presents stacked neatly in rows. The children all eagerly hurried over and began sorting through the gifts for their name; Nyx hung back in a corner awkwardly. She was still young enough to participate, but she hadn’t signed herself up a month ago in order to receive a gift from one of the adults in the city. She had been too shy and unsure about it, and all of the personal information she had to fill out made her head spin. Thus, she hadn’t received anything, of that she was sure of.

“A new hat with a feather on it! Thank you, Lady Rincole!” Barbara smiled to herself, even though her gift-giver wasn’t in attendance. She swapped out her hairpiece for the hat; luckily, it matched.

“Haha, Biggus gave me this!” Maggie laughed, pulling a chemise over her body that resembled a dead fish. The fish was large enough to cover nearly her whole body; only her eyes peered out. She twirled around to show it off, making the adults laugh before she slipped it back off.

“There’s one more present left,” Vicky stated, picking it up. “It says it’s from Chairwoman Linglan herself,”

“Ah, yes, that,” Linglan took the small present from the blonde and walked over to Nyx, handing it to her. “I thought that you'd like this the best, personally,”

Nyx blushed a bit as she took the present, looking over the lumpy form. The other children stared at her in curiosity and jealousy, wondering what she got that was so special.

“Ummm....but...I think there was some sort of mistake. I didn’t sign up for this,” Nyx fumbled over her words, tightening her grip on the pink present. Linglan blinked at her.

“You were on the list, like it or not my dear. And I was assigned to you. And this is what I gave you.” She turned and walked off to speak to other people, and Nyx blushed more, feeling the impatience of the other children as they craved to know what she had gotten. Eventually, Nyx found she couldn’t wait any longer either and pulled open the present, gasping slightly as she pulled out a nutcracker-doll with a head of curly blonde hair, dressed simply in a white slip with light blue bows. The most striking feature of the doll were her gorgeous blue eyes; like pools, they shimmered. One could get lost in those eyes.

"A nutcracker," Nyx said to herself, hugging the doll tightly to her body. "I...I love it,"

Linglan smiled, looking over at her. "I figured you would. You're not a girl who seems fussy about her gifts. All she needs is a name,"

"I think...Magda. It seems fitting," Nyx smiled to herself, going to a quieter corner of the party to look the nutcracker doll over some more. Her skin was made of porcelain unlike the wood of other nutcrackers, though a lever in the back of her dress would open her mouth up wide when pressed. Nyx ran her hand through the doll’s hair. She felt like she was in love.

Soon, the other children of the party had grown curious and sat around Nyx in a circle, all wanting to look at the doll and feed her nuts. Nyx was shy at first, still clutching the doll to her chest. What if someone accidentally hurt the nutcracker? She glanced back at Linglan, who was chatting about something with Zoe.

"We just want a quick look at the doll! Then we'll give her back!" Barbara promised, and Nyx finally nodded, slowly handing the doll over to her. The circle was composed of her, Barbara, Vicky, Hugh, and Balfey; who were all eagerly awaiting their turn to look at the doll.

"She's so beautiful!"

"Does she come with other outfits?"

"Her eyes are so beautiful and blue..."

"What an odd gift," They all cooed over the doll happily, all secretly jealous that out of all of them, Nyx was the one who received the best gift.

"Let's see how well she works," Hugh suggested, picking up a walnut from the dessert tray and pulling the doll's mouth open. Nyx hissed slightly, only relaxing when the mouth came down and snapped the nut in half as it was supposed to do. Then that just made the other children scramble around, all wanting a chance to feed her a nut too.

"Hm! Is this where all of the people my age are? And what do you guys think you're doing?" Lynna huffed in annoyance, a hand on her chest.

"We're playing with Lady Nyx's new toy!" Vicky smiled happily.

"Hmph! Let me see it!" Lynna thrust the doll out of Nyx’s hands, glancing at it. “This is the thing that has captured your attention? Ha! It’s so ugly though! It’s barely dressed, for one!” She tipped the nutcracker over and held it by its foot, making the dress flip up to reveal bloomers. “And not even a pretty dress on!” She huffed in irritation, dropping it onto the floor and making the jaw shatter. It hung open uselessly. “A nutcracker for a nutcase. It seems fitting,” She laughed and scurried away, leaving the children to stare at the broken nutcracker in shock.

"M-My toy! My Magda!" Nyx cried out, scooping the doll back up. "Oh, she's broken! I don't think...she'll be able to crack nuts ever again.."

The other children awkwardly shuffled away while Nyx pouted, getting a cloth from the table and gently wrapping Magda's head up with it. She then gently ran a hand through the doll's curls.

"Lady Lynna is so mean....I promise I don't think you're ugly. I think you're.....a very pretty doll. The prettiest doll I've ever seen," She blushed lightly as she whispered to the doll. Others might’ve felt silly talking to her like that, but somehow, Nyx didn’t. She couldn’t really explain how, but she felt as though...the doll...in a strange way...understood what she meant. She remained in her small corner, cradling Magda, refusing to join in on the festivities.

Still, the party continued on, nobody seeming to care much if Nyx joined in on them or not. One of the adults found amusement in dangling mistletoe over the heads of random couples talking just to see the results. Most pecked and got it over with. Zoe and Christie kissed deeply. Maggie jumped into Balfey’s arms and gave him a great big smooch that made everyone else laugh and cheer and whistle. Even Nyx smiled a bit at the sight.

“Have some! You look thirsty,” Barbara announced, holding out a frosty glass.

“What’s this?” Nyx blinked curiously, taking the drink from her.

“Water flavoured with peppermint!” Nyx took a sip and her eyes widened. The taste had been watered-down quite a bit, but there was still a faint trace of it left in there. Barbara smiled in satisfaction and walked off to play with the rest of the children. Nyx remained in her same spot, gently cradling Magda.

Soon, however, the party was over and much to the dismay of the children, they had to put their toys away and so they set up said toys in little scenes underneath the tree. Nyx took longer, laying Magda down in a doll-sized bed that seemed made specially for her. As she tucked her in, she was taken aback by the sight of Magda smiling at her....but when she blinked the nutcracker had returned to normal.

“Time for bed! I don’t want anymore children in here!” Grand Duke stated in annoyance. Nyx finished tucking in the nutcracker doll and hurried off to bed, promising the doll she would return to it again soon.

####

After being asleep for a few hours, Nyx awoke in the middle of the night with a great thirst. She held her throat, remembering the peppermint water Barbara had given her and found herself having a sudden craving for it. So, she carefully crawled out of bed and pulled a light pink robe on over her white lacy nightgown with slippers, wanting to at least look decent. She snuck down the stairs and found a mug of the water left in the ice-box; she silently sipped it down.

The parlor was quiet and still, emptied of guests and lights. Still, the Christmas tree reached to the ceiling and the toys were left out, as were the decorations. Nyx winced to herself as she recalled how cruel Lynna had been earlier regarding Magda, and decided she’d take a quick peek at the doll to make sure it was still alright.

She stepped silently into the parlor, her slippers making tiny steps on the rugs. The old grandfather clock loudly struck the time as she walked past it, making her jump.

“Eeeek!” She gasped, covering her mouth and staring up at the clock. Instead of the holly garland she had been expecting, she instead found Lou herself sitting on the top, the holly in her hair.

“Big Sister! You startled me!” Nyx smiled happily. “But...what are you doing up there? Come down!” She stated.

Lou shook her head and waved her hand around, pointing at Nyx specifically. Much to the younger girl’s amazement, the clock seemed to grow larger and larger and larger....until she couldn’t even see the top of it anymore. She glanced over at the Christmas tree and found it to be in a similar state; the pile of toys she found to be large earlier was now a literal mountain.

“Everything is so big...” She whispered to herself, hurrying over to the presents. Much to her continued surprise, the lights in the room flicked themselves on as all of the toys under the tree began to come alive. Her eyes widened; somehow, the toys and dolls resembled....the party guests? She shook her head. All of this was a dream, a dream, just a dream!

“Hello there, Lady Nyx!” A cheerful voice greeted her, and Nyx spun around and gasped when she found herself staring back at her nutcracker doll.

And that was who they were, judging by the slip and the cloth still firmly wrapped around their jaw.

“M-Magda.....?” Nyx blinked a few times in disbelief. Magda nodded, running her hands down her body. Even she herself seemed to be unsure if the current moment was real or not, which wasn’t helping Nyx’s case.

“Teehee! What a sight this is before me! What is this I see? Two unfashionable creeps! Let us hang them from the tree! Like a glass ornament! It is what they deserve, indeed!” A girly voice tittered, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to darken as thousands of mice swarmed from underneath the tree, making Nyx sicken and desperately climb onto a doll chair to escape from them. Magda hurried over to her.

“Who’s that?” Nyx asked worriedly. “What’s with all of the mice?!”

“My sworn enemy....so she says. The Mouse Queen!” Magda replied, placing her hands on her chest. “She is jealous of you and wants to steal you away! But the other toys can and will protect you!”

“The Mouse Queen?” Nyx asked in confusion before the Queen herself arrived, a blonde girl who easily towered over the toys dressed in a brown mermaid gown. Around her figure was a brown cloak made from mouse pelts, with two stuffed mouse heads staring right at her. Both wore crowns, but the Mouse Queen wore the biggest crown on her head. Nyx shivered.

“Oh! It is my enemy, the nutcracker! You resemble the mess of weeds that have yet to be whacked! So allow me to have the honor of shoving you into a sack! Ah, I didn’t mean to insult your dress...except I did!” The Mouse Queen tittered.

“Leave Lady Nyx alone! Let’s have a Beauty Contest!” Magda decided, jumping off the chair and tightening the wrap around her jaw. The Mouse Queen smirked evilly.

“Hehe! A Beauty Contest against me, the Queen? But you will lose! Very well then, I could use the laugh. And a sheen! Lawerence! Come here for your queen!” She placed a hand on her chest.

Nyx watched in fright, too anxious of the mice to climb back down. All around her, the toys were fighting vallantly, using swords, arrows, whips, hammers, spellbooks-almost everything at their disposal-to fight off the mice.

“Ya! You won’t win against us!” A doll in a pink dress cheered, wiggling her cat ears. She loaded another arrow into her bow.

“Feel the strength of the mages!” A woman in a short brown dress recited a spell, knocking out several rows of mice in one hit.

“We won’t give up! We’ll fight until our very last breath!” A pink lady-knight cheered, twirling over to a box of toy soldiers and pulling open the box with her sword, making several blue-clad men fall out. She smirked at one with brown hair and pulled him into the fight; soon they were fighting mice back-to-back.

It wasn’t enough though. Despite the large amount of toys there were, everytime a certain amount of mice were cut down, more and more would just appear, swarming around the toys and knocking them down.

“More and more patients to heal!” A nun doll cried in panic, helping two more broken toys into the same hospital bed. “Ah...there’s too few of us...”

“No matter what we do....we can’t win. Goddess give us strength,” Another nun doll sighed, closing her eyes.

“Teehee! Looks like I won this time too! But what were you expecting, dressed like that? Oh, who comes to a Christmas ball dressed in just a slip? With a few bows on it? What a Christmas mess!” The Mouse Queen chuckled evilly, ripping one of the bows off Magda’s gown. The blonde fell to her knees, weakened by her loss.

Nyx gasped. Magda had lost too. The toys had lost their leader, and possibly their will to fight too. What to do....?

“Now get out of my sight, you shoddy nutcracker! A royal like me does not deserve to be seen with such a peasant like you! Heehee! You’re truly a broke noble now!” The Mouse Queen advanced on Magda, seemingly about to rip more things off her gown. Nyx jumped up in fright, not wanting Magda to be defeated.

“L-Leave her a-alone...!” She cried, surprising herself as she slipped off her slipper and threw it right at the Mouse Queen’s face, hitting her right in the middle of it hard.

She responded by gasping, her dress spasming violently before a horde of mice poured out from underneath it, the body of the Queen long gone. The last mouse to crawl out was slightly bigger and blonder than the rest, sporting a tiny crown. She squeaked angrily at Nyx before scurrying off with the rest of the mice in retreat.

“Magda!” Nyx jumped off the chair and slipped her shoe back on, hurrying over to the nutcracker, still on her knees with her hair falling into her face. “Magda...?”

“Lady Nyx...” Magda grabbed Nyx’s hands, making the smaller girl blush heavily in surprise as Magda became awash in a glow of white light. The other dolls took notice and begun to cheer wildly.

“Our lady! Lady Magda! She has returned to us!” They all cheered as the light around Magda dimmed and revealed a human girl standing there. Even her gown had changed into something far more formal; a white high-necked gown with sheer lace sleeves and collar.

“Magda...?” Nyx asked nervously. Even the wrap around her head was gone.

“Lady Nyx...thank you for startling the Mouse Queen like that. She had cursed me because she was jealous of my beauty and kindness. Both were things she herself is to never possess...so she cursed me to live as a shoddy nutcracker. But you still loved me in spite of that. You broke the spell she had placed on me,” Magda explained, standing up slowly.

“A curse?” Nyx blinked. She still felt like she was dreaming.

“I had to leave my kingdom for a very long time. I don’t have very much to give you in return....I can’t even grant you a title at my kingdom,”

“Um...what is your kingdom like?”

“Why don’t we go together and see?” Magda suggested, smiling as she gently took the hand of the blushy Nyx and lead her out into the cold, wintry night. The dolls continued to cheer behind them, congratulating them. The noise continued until the sharp wind of winter slammed the door closed shut behind the couple.

Nyx had anticipated the snow to feel cold in her nightgown, but even though she could feel the wind pulling her back and the wet snow crunching under her feet, she couldn’t actually feel the cold itself. Rather, it felt more like she was traversing through a forest made of sugar and not snow.

“The snowflakes are made of powdered sugar! Uh...stick out your tongue and catch one,” Magda directed, doing exactly that. Nyx giggled. Of course the snow in a dreamland would be made of sugar. Her curiosity raised, she did indeed stick her tongue out a little bit and gasped when a droplet hit it almost instantly, dissolving. A sweet, sugary taste dropped down her throat and soon Nyx found herself sticking out her tongue more and more, trying to catch a bunch of droplets.

######

Nyx wasn’t sure how long they walked. Everytime she tried to make sense of time, she would just get distracted by the sugar-snow around her and lose track again. However, it didn’t feel very long as they reached a small manor in the clearing of the forest; a strong scent of gingerbread elating from it. Nyx realized she was starting to get hungry. But she shouldn’t eat other peoples’ houses.

Magda helped Nyx up the stairs to the front door and knocked politely; a few seconds later a tall blonde Elf answered, wearing a sheer pink gown with glitter and pastel flower petals falling from it. Flowers were patterned onto the gown.

“Lady Nyx, this is the Sugar Plum Fairy. She has been in charge of everything since I left. She is a dear friend of mine,” Magda explained nervously. The Elf stared Nyx down slightly, but Nyx stared back, sensing awkwardness from the Elf rather than irritation.

“How did you return here? The curse was broken?” Sugar Plum Fairy asked in disbelief. Magda nodded.

“Lady Nyx broke it....I’ve been gone from here for too long. I want to have a huge coronation ball to celebrate!” Magda smiled. The smallest of a smile appeared on Sugar Plum Fairy’s face as well as she led them inside.

“Please, refer to me as Asteria. Sugar Plum Fairy is too much of a mouthful,” She directed, and Nyx nodded in agreement. Asteria. It sounded magical and otherworldly....perfect for an Elf.

Asteria led the two into the throne room, helping them sit in two white thrones and eyeing Nyx’s outfit. “Would you like to change before the start of the ceremony?”

Nyx blushed. “I-I’m okay...I mean....does it really matter?”

Asteria nodded, hurrying from the room. The smell of gingerbread was stronger here, as well as many other pleasant smells like coffee, chocolate, peppermint, cream, and a fainted smell of flowers. Nothing was in the throne room aside from the thrones, and Nyx wondered if that was to make room for whatever the celebration was. Would she have to dance?

“Our nation is a very diverse one, offering many different types of cultures and races. That is why our ceremony today will be celebrating just that,” Asteria’s voice announced from somewhere overhead. Nyx found herself suddenly giddy. What sorts of things would she see? The room dimmed slightly. She blushed some more, hoping she wouldn’t be asked to dance.

Music started to play from somewhere behind her, making her blush even more. The music sounded velvety and rich, if music could even be described as such, like biting into a bar of dark chocolate. She had never heard anything like it. Two dancers appeared in the middle of the floor; it seemed as if they just formed there, both wearing skin-tight suits in dark brown. The way the light caught the sheen on the suits made Nyx crave chocolate...for some reason. And the dancers looked familiar to her too, though they both wore brown and black masks. She could at least tell one was a woman and the other was a man; the woman had one large horn that shimmered even in the low light.

The couple began to dance, but instead of dancing a slower dance that Nyx felt matched the music better, they instead danced a really fast dance she wasn’t sure she was familiar with. The man kept pulling the woman into his arms, then tossing her into the middle of the floor so she could spin alone at a dizzying speed. At one point, he grabbed her waist and lifted her up into the air, the two of them posing for Magda and Nyx before they melted into a large puddle of chocolate on the floor. Magda applauded, but Nyx blinked in confusion.

“T-They melted....into....chocolate?” She slowly asked. She still felt hungry, but she somehow didn’t feel like eating the chocolate off the floor. Magda nodded.

“I mean, almost eveyone in my kingdom is made out of food...” Magda admitted, laughing awkwardly. “Mostly desserts...”

The next dance was more slower than the last, being played by an Elf in a black harem dancer outfit. A veil shielded her face from view, but Nyx knew it was a different Elf from Asteria. The Elf was playing a hypnotic tune on her harp, her eyes closed and a mysterious smile on her face. Nyx blushed a bit. The Elf was very beautiful and looked as though she had a secret. She expected to her to dance, but the Elf did not, remaining seated as she played her harp. At the end of her piece, she sighed deeply before vanishing into steam clouds that smelt heavily of coffee. Nyx blinked. She never had coffee before; it was a delicacy her father never wanted her to have. She knew Lou drank it at the Spiral Spire, but Lou never told her of the taste or anything; only that it made Lou reek strongly of the stuff until she bathed and washed her clothes again.

The next dance was an actual dance; being led by a woman in a sleek, sheer, tiny purple dress from Mandaria. She had a mysterious smile as well as she began to dance slowly, moving her body as if she were a snake. Her movements were slow and fluid; at one point she lowered herself onto the floor to mike tea being poured. She was joined by two other women in similar outfits; one had a pipe and blew some smoke into the room to make a giant tea pot made out of jade appear in the middle.

The dancers gracefully climbed into the pot, leaving the original one to continue her snake-charmer dance...that was the best description Nyx could come up with to describe the woman’s movements. She felt transfixed by the woman, unable to take her eyes off her even when she felt her face heating up.

The woman finally lowered herself down into the tea pot and snapped her fingers, making the tea pot move by itself and pour hot, steaming tea onto the floor. It smelled fragrant, like green leaves. The steam filled the room and hit Nyx like a blast, making her feel humid in her clothes. She shyly untied her robe. After a few seconds, however, the room went to its original state; no tea or steam anywhere. Magda politely clapped again.

“The tea dance of Mandaria is always one of my favourites,” She explained to Nyx, who blushed.

“I-I want to see them all first before I properly judge...” She said shyly.

"You might like the second-to-last dance,"

"What's that one?"

"I don't want to ruin it,"

The next dance required four dancers, all dressed in striped red and white outfits that looked embroidered. They didn't wear masks or have their faces covered, but their expressions seemed familiar and alien to Nyx all at once. The three girls all wore ribbons up in their elaborate buns, but one of the girls wore the same embroidered suit as the only male there.

Much like the first dance of chocolate, this dance was fast-paced, with the females all dancing on the tips of their toes. The shoes they wore were made from special cotton to allow them to do that. The music itself was also very energetic, but it didn't make Nyx feel any type of way aside from excitement.

The male in the dance had a sword at his waist and near the middle he took the sword out and began to swing it around gracefully. One of the women who had glasses spun around the sword, timing her movements to the next swing perfectly so it seemed as if she were controlling it. The woman in a suit picked up the other girl with glasses and gracefully tossed her into the air, making her spin around before landing on her feet gracefully. The knight threw the other girl up into the air the same time the first girl got thrown for a second time; they both spun in the air before exploding into a set of colourful fireworks. The remaining two dancers smiled briefly before exploding as well, this time raining down peppermint squares.

Nyx curiously held out her hands and caught one, taking a bite out of it. Instead of the explosion of coolness she had been expecting, however, she instead got a watered-down taste similar to Barbara's peppermint water. Her eyes widened as she quickly swallowed, trying to remain polite anyway.

The next dance Nyx surprised herself by already recognizing the country of origin for the music itself. It was played on a type of glass flute, a Rayorcan musical instrument used to make notes sound light, airy, and fluffy. The music tickled Nyx, starting from her feet and building in her belly, making ticklish bubbles form there.

"Hey! Why don't you two dance?" One of the flutists asked cheerfully; a woman wearing a neon green suit. "After all, we're playing this just for you!" The woman had a bob of light hair but still her smile was infectious. Nyx blushed heavily, looking down at her feet.

"The only person here though is...M-Magda..." She explained shyly.

"Oooooh, you're the shy kinda girl, eh? I love this sorta thing!~" A flutist in a neon red gown tittered. She was also the only one there wearing a mask of deep purple with yellow feathers trimmed to the top.

"I don't see anything wrong with us dancing....I'm not very good at it though," Magda warned Nyx, holding her hand out for her. Nyx shook her head, feeling her face burn.

"I-I don't know..." She confessed. "I'm not very good at it either..."

The flutists continued to play for a few minutes more before mysteriously fading from view, the music fading with them. They left behind a strong smell of expensive, foreign perfume as well as whipped cream. Nyx was still hungry.

"This will be the last dance before the second-to-last one...the one I thought you'd like," Magda explained to her. Nyx nodded.

"What's the last one like?" She asked curiously.

"It's the best one, I think! Sugar Plum Fairy dances with her Sugar Plum Knight." Magda clasped her hands together in excitement. Nyx smiled back shyly. It certainly sounded like an amazing sight. But all of the dances she had seen so far had been amazing. How could they be topped?

"Hi!~ She's so happy to be here!~" A small Oren cheered happily, walking into the room in a large yellow dress; the skirt had such a wide hoop that it was near impossible for her to walk. Her cat tail poked out defiantly. "Will you let her show you her dolls? They are all dressed fashionably!~"

Nyx nodded, already curious.

"Here we go!~" The Oren smiled and pulled open the front of her dress like a curtain, smiling a cat-like grin as several other Orens all ran out from underneath her skirt, indeed all dressed in fashionable clothes in shades of yellow and black.

"Do I look cute, Lady Magda?" One of the Orens asked happily, a little striped tail wagging from underneath her short dress. Magda smiled back just as happily, gently patting the Oren on the head.

"You are the cutest puppet in the show," She reassured her, making her face light up.

"Oh, thank you, Lady Magda!" She giggled and ran back to the other Orens, playing childrens' dancing games with them.

"You're Lady Nyx! Here!" Another Oren with golden hues shouted, tossing a black ball at Nyx. She panicked and grabbed it, her face paling when she noticed it was a bomb.

"I-I...t-take this back!" She tried to throw it back as the music reached a crescendo, but the Orens all giggled and kicked it around between them as if it were a ball.

"So much fun!~" The cat-like Oren continued to grin as the music got louder and faster. Nyx felt her heart speed up. Wouldn't the bomb explode?

It finally reached the end of its fuse and one of the Orens kicked it high up into the air; it finally did explode and rain down all sorts of candy onto the floor. The Orens cheered and scampered about to collect as much as they could, leaving the better pieces for Magda and Nyx. They then cleared the room. Nyx nervously took a honey piece off the floor, unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth, sucking on it.

"I think this'll be your favourite dance," Magda whispered just before the four corners of the ballroom were lit up; one in gold, one in purple, one in pink, and one in green. Nyx's eyes widened as she finally got out of her seat, feeling drawn to the gold corner. Magda quickly pulled her back, making her blush.

"The Dance of the Four Families. One of the most sacred and complex dances in this realm," Asteria commented from somewhere above them again. "Do not waste this dance, my ladies. You are important members of the Four Families. Dance with them and treat them as your equals,"

Nyx felt as though that last direction was specifically for Magda and not her, but she still nodded in understanding.

The music had turned slower, graceful, more ethereal. Nyx nervously remained close to Magda, somehow afraid of being separated even though she knew she'd likely have to join the Bavlenkas' waltz.

Magda kept the blonde girl close to her as shadowy figures began to file into the ballroom, each taking a respective place at their own corner. Once the music built to a certain point, only then did they begin to dance, all wearing the colours and flowers of their respective houses. Masks were on their faces, but Nyx knew enough to differentiate between each individual.

"Let's dance," Magda suggested, pulling Nyx closer to the center of the floor and gently taking her hands as Nyx blushed heavily.

"B-But...I don't really dance...I-I don't know...where to put my hands, or my feet..." She admitted shyly, stammering.

"Neither do I..." Magda laughed nervously. "Just let the music guide us,"

Nyx nodded and wrapped one of her hands along Magda's waist, taking her other hand in hers. She blushed even more as she felt Magda give her a gentle, reassuring squeeze. They then started to dance in-time to the music, weaving their way in and out of the other families. The music had stopped sounding ethereal and instead sounded more cheerful and lively.

"You're doing really good!" Magda praised Nyx, making her blush heavily. Magda thought she was a good dancer....

The music started to get faster and faster as Magda twirled Nyx around gently, making her blush. Some of the more athletic couples lifted up their partners so they could pose; Magda and Nyx blushed at the simple idea of it. Nyx tightened her grip on Magda as they continued to dance around gently; she kept her eyes on her feet.

After several minutes, Magda let go of Nyx and got swept into a dance by one of the Olinouxes; a masked knight in all purple. The knight smirked slightly as they twirled Magda away. A girl in pink hurried over to Nyx, making her blush as she danced with her in a lively way across the dancefloor.

"Hm? Barbara?" Nyx asked curiously, but the masked figure only spun her around a few times in response. The dancers all twirled in and out of the circle to match the lively song. The music suddenly built to a fast crescendo, and Nyx found herself being twirled away from the pink masked girl and into the hands of a man dressed in vibrant green. She blushed slightly as he began to dance with her skillfully, picking her up and helping her bend her legs in a pose. She blushed even more. "Eeeeek!"

When she was placed back down, she glanced around the dancefloor, finding Magda dancing with a pink man in a black mask and jacket. The music grew faster and faster as the green man spun Nyx around, letting go of her at the last second just as Magda's partner let go of her; the two girls spun around on the dancefloor rapidly as they tried in vain to stop themselves.

The nobles begun to turn into shadows once more as they chuckled at the girls' plight, soon fading as Magda and Nyx spun closer and closer to each other. Magda held out her hand and grabbed Nyx, managing to stop her and holding her above her head; Nyx posed in a ballet position. She blushed heavily as the music finally ended, leaving the ballroom in silence.

Magda gently sat Nyx down and took a deep breath, smiling at the younger girl. "Fun, hm?" Nyx found herself nodding eagerly.

"Y-Yes! It was...! I...actually enjoyed dancing." She admitted shyly.

"Would you like to sit out the next dance?" Magda questioned as the lights dimmed once more and the music begun again, sounding ethereal and heavenly again.

"I....I would like to dance this one too..." She finally admitted just as Asteria walked into the room, a pink-clad blond man on her arm. She gave Nyx a small smile as they walked into the center of the room. Asteria's gown had somehow become more gorgeous; a pink veil pinned her hair back with a large flower crown.

"We would be honored to share the dancefloor with you two," The man smiled, winking at Magda. Nyx blushed lightly and felt a sudden surge of protection over Magda as she moved a bit closer to her. "Oh, but...a lady as beautiful as you shouldn't wear her nightgown to the ball. No matter how pretty it is. Allow me to give you a better gown,"

"B-But....we don't have time-" Nyx started to protest before Asteria waved her hand in front of Nyx's clothes, bathing her in a soft blue glow before the glow faded. Nyx herself blinked; the magic took a few moments for her to process before she found herself in a long white lolita gown that resembled a wedding cake; especially in the skirt region. She had the whole set of gloves and jewels, with her hair tied up in a bun with a white wreath of roses.

"Now, I know it's not very proper for a girl your age to have her hair up yet, but tonight....let's make an exception," The man smiled, taking Asteria's arms gently. Nyx nodded and allowed Magda to do the same. The two couples stood a few paces away from each other to give each other plenty of room on the dancefloor.

The music began to sound more ethereal and otherworldly, and Nyx gasped slightly as Magda led her in a slow waltz; she tightened her grip on Magda's hands. She didn't want to stumble or step on her feet! She snuck glances at Asteria and her knight as they danced to mimic their movements better.

Still, she took Magda's advice and just let the music move her, and soon she found she was moving her feet fluidly in time. She smiled up at Magda, who smile back at her. The music seemed to time her footsteps as well; a triangle sounding when she hit the floor.

"Such beautiful dancers," The knight sighed to himself as they spun closer to Magda and Nyx. Nyx blushed heavily as she felt Magda pull her a bit closer to her chest. She smelled really good...not of perfume, but of candy...chocolate and whipped cream and sugar...

The music, instead of speeding up like the rest of the songs that night had, it instead slowed down quite rapidly; Asteria and her knight seemed to slow down too until it seemed they were stuck in molasses. Nyx blinked a few times, but they illusion never went away. Magda continued to dance with her for a few more minutes before giving her a small smile and vanishing into the shadows of the ballroom.

"M-Magda? Magda?" Nyx blinked. Asteria and her knight were gone as well. The sweets were gone from the floor; their sweet smell with them. The lights shut off completely. Nyx fell to the floor in confusion and despair. The music stopped. "Magda...? Where did you go...? Where did....where did anyone go...?" She heard her voice echo off the empty bare walls and shivered. She felt a heaviness on her back and a sudden chill and glanced down; her nightclothes had returned.

Everything was as if it was only a dream, only in her head, though it had seemed so real just a moment ago.

#####

Nyx woke up with a start, finding Lou standing nervously over her bed. After Nyx cleared her throat a few times, Lou's expression quickly changed to her cold one.

"Nyx, what happened to you? You have been in bed for a night and a day. You had a terribly high fever," She explained.

"H-Huh? A....fever? I....I was sick?" She asked slowly, blinking in disbelief. Lou nodded in response. "But...the dream that I had....Magda..." She then glanced up. "Magda! M-My nutcracker! Big Sister, is the party still going on?"

"Yes. Though it'll end in a few hours. So if you have anyone you need to talk to, best do it now. And then right back to bed with you!" Lou scolded as she watched Nyx nod and slowly crawl out of bed.

"U-Understood!" She slowly climbed down the stairs, not caring she was in her nightgown still. The guests knew she had been sick, so that was her excuse, right? Once she reached the bottom, she hurried into the parlor, finding a few guests still in there, chatting. She crawled over to the tree, gasping in disbelief when her nutcracker, her beloved Magda, was nowhere to be seen.

"Nyx! I heard you got sick!" Barbara announced. "Want some more peppermint water?" She started to offer the drink to her friend, only to darken her features when Grand Duke arrived, giving her a death glare.

"That is likely the drink that got her so sick in the first place. Have you not left with your family yet? Go on then!" He harshly scolded Barbara, who slinked away. "Those bastard Sakans are all the exact same. Nothing but troublemakers. It was the water the late Duchess drank when she was pregnant, I bet."

Nyx barely registered what Grand Duke was saying. Where was her nutcracker? Nobody would dare to throw it out. Not even Lynna seemed to be that carelessly dumb. But it didn't seem to be misplaced either...

"Lady Nyx! I was hoping to have a chat with you before I left for the day," Linglan stated, helping Nyx up to her feet. She then smiled. "Time is of the essence, but I just need to tell you something. An old friend of mine...well, she moved back into Finsel with her teenaged daughter. A year or two older than you. She's hopeless when it comes to the social scene. I thought...maybe you could give her some tips?"

"M-Me...?" Nyx asked shyly. "I'm not sure...."

"Well, maybe you'll change your mind after you see her," Linglan left briefly and came back with a girl all dressed in pale pink and white on her arm; the girl had long curly blonde hair. At Linglan's voice, she snapped to attention and curtsied awkwardly at Nyx; Nyx returned the gesture.

The first thing she noticed about the girl were her blue eyes. Deep blue pools of sapphire. One could get lost in those eyes.....

"M-My name is Magda. Magda...Ellenstein. It's really nice to meet you," The girl named Magda smiled nervously. A more genuine smile formed on Nyx's face as her knees nearly buckled.

"Wait! Chairwoman Linglan!" Nyx called, spotting the redhead about to leave. "Who signed me up for the Secret Santa? I....I never signed myself up,"

"Hm? Oh, Lady Lou did. She was worried about you not getting a present, so she went to me personally and asked for you to be signed up," Linglan answered impatiently, finally hurrying out of the room.

"Lady Nyx? Could you...show me around your house? It looks so big from the outside!" Magda exclaimed nervously. Nyx stifled her giggles.

"It's really not that big on the inside, I promise!" She held out her hand for Magda to take; blushing heavily when she heard some snickers and looked above her head to see the infamous mistletoe being dangled.

"Oh....does that mean...do we kiss?" Magda asked bluntly, making Nyx's face burn hotly. She stared down at her feet in embarrassment. Barbara and Vicky begun to cheer the two girls on, while Hugh and Balfey snickered at the thought of seeing two girls kiss. Magda moved a bit closer when Nyx finally nodded. "Then...let's do so,"

Nyx looked up at Magda, finding a confident look sparkling in her eyes. That was the same look she saw when she challenged the Mouse Queen, the same look when they waltzed among the families, and the same look she had when Nyx parted ways with her after their final dance. It was almost always on her face. It filled her with some confidence, so without waiting, she stood on her tiptoes and closed her eyes. Magda pulled Nyx closer to her, kissing her softly on the lips. The boys whistled and the girls cheered around them, but the two girls ignored them, pulling each other closer as they kissed some more.

Once they finally pulled away, Nyx smiled at Magda, feeling a strange rush of confidence. Needless to say, for once, that thrilled her.

"Would you like....some gingerbread? Big Sister made a bunch and so there's still some left. I think one even has chocolate hidden on the inside," Nyx suggested happily; she felt hungry again.

"But...Mom tells me..." Magda begun, looking towards the kitchen with a longing look in her eyes. Nyx giggled, taking Magda's hand and running towards the kitchen with her.

"Just for today. It's Christmas!" She cheered, and Magda laughed with her, following her into the kitchen.

That afternoon was spent mainly eating in silence, occasionally sharing candy-coated kisses with chocolate. Nyx still felt that same rush of excitement she had been feeling ever since she first met Magda earlier. Is that what it felt like when you met someone who was a stranger yet so familiar all at once? Nyx wasn't sure. The sensation wasn't described in any of her books.

All she knew, was that her beloved Magda was back in her life once more. And that no matter how old she got, that Christmas in particular would always stick out to her as the Christmas she learned to be confident-and how she broke a mean mouse queen's spell simply by loving the kind nature of a shoddy old nutcracker doll.

**Author's Note:**

> Remember when I was the only one in the fandom with a published MagdaxNyx fanfic? Pepperidge Farm remembers lol


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